Pupils and teachers across NSW fear today's HSC maths exam could be a repeat of last year's situation, where they got questions they had not been taught.
The vice president of the Mathematical Association of NSW said last year's exam had left many upset.
There were questions requiring students to use concepts which had been taught to advanced mathematics classes but not those in the standard course.
Last year's HSC maths exam featured some questions that had not been taught. Pupils are dreading a repeat today
'There were some very disgruntled teachers and some very upset parents and students about the annuities question,' Karen McDaid told the Daily Telegraph.
But luckily for those sitting the exam on Monday, Ms McDaid explained the Mathematical Association told the New South Wales Education Standards Authority not to let that happen again.
'They have promised they will go through a more rigorous process but we won't know until after [the exam happens],' Ms McDaid said.
A NESA spokeswoman said it had provided additional information to teachers this year.
The New South Wales Education Standards Authority has promised they have gone through a more rigorous process this year (stock image)
But celebrity maths teacher Eddie Woo - who hosts a YouTube channel - reminded pupils that even if it is a tough test, it is the same for everybody.
Mr Woo, who teaches in Cherrybrook Technology High in Sydney's north-west said the exam will challenge students.
'It is supposed to do that, it enables them to demonstrate all the things which they have learned and the skills they have developed,' he said.
Traffic to Mr Woo's YouTube channel has surged as pupils look for last-minute help.
'Every year for a long time there is a spike in the statistics on the back-end of my channel before each HSC maths exam,' he said.
Mathematics teacher Eddie Woo reminded pupils that even if it is a tough test, it is the same for everybody
So would YOU pass high school today? As Year 12 students start their final exams, a look at modern-day questions proves how tough they've REALLY got it
By Brittany Chain
Almost 70,000 students in NSW began their Higher School certificate exams this week, the culmination of 13 years of education.
The exams were postponed for four weeks due to Covid lockdown, but began on Monday when 62,000 sat their English exam.
Adults may scoff at the intensity of the three-week exam period, but the tests are designed to be tough.
So, how would you go with answering last year's HSC questions for these key subjects?
For almost 70,000 17 and 18-year-old kids from New South Wales, sitting their HSC marks the most stressful time of their lives to date. Pictured: A student at Sydney Secondary College completing her English exam
STANDARD MATHEMATICS, 2020
There are four levels of mathematics subjects students can choose to take, the easiest of which is Mathematics Standard 1.
Students are given two hours to answer 30 questions for a potential total of 80 marks. They're allowed a calculator, and certain questions require them to show their reasoning and calculations.
The first 10 questions are multiple choice, beginning with identifying which shape has the most vertical edges and working up in difficulty to choosing the correct scatterplot data sets.
One of the questions worth just three marks in the 2020 standard paper is as follows:
The time in Melbourne is 11 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The time in Honolulu is 10 hours behind UTC. A plane departs from Melbourne at 7pm on Tuesday and lands in Honolulu 9 hours later. What is the time and day in Honolulu when the plane lands?
The correct way to answer the question, according to the marking criteria, is as follows
Time difference: 11 + 10
